PHILADELPHIA — At 8:09 p.m., the crowd grew quiet. In fact, they had been silent for most of the evening, shocked by the performance of the Philadelphia Phillies’ starter, angered by the fruitless attacks of their lineup, angered by the courage of their guests, the Arizona Diamondbacks. The crowd at Citizens Bank Park had been rocking and shaking all October, but no game that October ended like this one, with the Phillies losing 5-1 at 8:09 p.m.
The Diamondbacks’ victory in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series ended the Phillies’ home unbeaten streak in October and shattered the club’s appearance of invincibility in South Philadelphia. It also set the stage for some glorious theater on Tuesday night when the two clubs reunite for the seventh game. Arizona would be happy to silence the red-and-blue clad hordes that have energized this Phillies team over the last two Octobers.
The Phillies are one win away from clinching the National League pennant for the second straight year. The Diamondbacks haven’t reached the World Series since winning it outright in 2001. The roster of starting players lists Ranger Suarez for Philadelphia and Brandon Pfaadt for Arizona. Neither man expects to stay in the game for long. Game 7 will test the strength of each club’s roster.
On Monday, Arizona rallied Phillies starter Aaron Nola with three runs in the second inning. Nola gave up another run in the fifth and walked without completing the frame. Arizona starter Merrill Kelly limited the Phillies to one run in five innings. He struck out eight. The Diamondbacks’ relievers did not allow a Phillie to reach second base.
Before the game, Arizona coach Torey Lovullo struck a defiant tone. He didn’t expect his team to fail. “We didn’t come across the country to kick ass,” Lovullo said. The Diamondbacks had defeated two division winners, the Brewers and the Dodgers, to reach this stage. The group showed its backbone by winning two of the three games at Chase Field and keeping that streak alive.
The pitching duel featured a rematch from Philadelphia’s 10-0 loss in Game 2: Nola for the Phillies, Kelly for the Diamondbacks. Nola spread a single to three strikeouts in the first. At the bottom of the frame, Kelly passed Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, opting for discretion rather than bravado against Philadelphia’s two most dangerous hitters, but avoiding further incident.
For the first time in three games here, Arizona struck first. Lovullo benched veteran Tommy Pham in favor of Pavin Smith for Game 5. After Smith failed to score, Lovullo used Pham again. “Tommy Pham is Tommy Pham, right?” Lovullo said before the game. “He’s a professional hitter.” The description looked apt after Pham’s first at-bat in the second inning. He hit a 2-2 curveball over the left field fence to break the ice.
Nola received no reprieve from the next batter. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. turned in a sinker at 90.6 mph and delivered a solo shot of his own. Nola had allowed just two runs in his last three starts this postseason. Now he had given up two runs in two at-bats. And his misery didn’t end there.
Alek Thomas, the late hero of Game 4, drew a four-pitch walk. Senior third baseman Evan Longoria recorded just his second hit of the series in the next at-bat. Longoria slammed a belt-high fastball into the gap in left-center. Thomas rushed home. Longoria went to second base. Nola managed to strike out Longoria but still ended the inning with Philadelphia in a 3-0 hole.
The commotion calmed the crowd. They didn’t stay silent for long. Phillies catcher JT Realmuto woke them up with a leadoff double in the bottom of the second. Brandon Marsh brought Realmuto home by hitting a single to right field. Kelly walked Schwarber a second time before inducing a groundout from shortstop Trea Turner to extinguish the threat.
Nola didn’t allow another hit until rookie outfielder Corbin Carroll beat him with a single in an eight-pitch duel. Carroll didn’t stay long at first. Two pitches later, second baseman Ketel Marte fired a fastball into the right field corner. The baseball clattered around the outfield wall as Marte slid to third with an RBI triple.
The triple ended Nola’s night. He remained in the dugout when Michael Lorenzen made his first appearance on the series. Lorenzen managed to push Marte into third place. He triggered a groundout from catcher Gabriel Moreno. After walking first baseman Christian Walker, Lorenzen threw a 95.3 mph fastball, his first of the game, past Pham for a strikeout.
Kelly was not intimidated by his opponents. He had given up three home runs in Game 2. He didn’t give up on anyone on Monday. In the third meeting, in the fifth inning, he hit Schwarber with a curveball. The frame ended as Harper swung through another turn. The curveball was Kelly’s 90th of the night. He wouldn’t throw another one. Lovullo opened his bullpen to start the sixth.
The relievers held the line. Arizona took a four-point lead when Phillies rookie Orion Kerkering fumbled in his third straight appearance and Marte delivered an RBI single in the seventh. In the bottom of the inning, a leadoff single by Marsh brought the crowd to life. The optimism didn’t last long. Schwarber made a fielder’s choice, replacing Marsh at first base. When reliever Andrew Saalfrank bounced a curve, Schwarber attempted to take second base. Moreno recovered the ball and struck out Schwarber to end the inning.
The discontent in the stands increased just moments later when the lights went out and the opening sound of Guns n’ Roses’ “Welcome To The Jungle” played over the speakers. Craig Kimbrel, the team’s former closer, was met with loud ridicule. He had botched both Game 3 and Game 4 in Arizona, allowing the Diamondbacks to keep the series alive. Now all that’s left is Game 7.
The Phillies won 90 games in the regular season. The Diamondbacks won just 84. Neither seriously contended for the division in the second half. But they escaped at the right time and beat their opponents before meeting in this series. Philadelphia will play Game 7 with home field advantage. And Arizona will play Game 7 knowing they are good enough to silence the crowd.
(Photo: Eric Hartline / USA Today)